• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

School Choice Bill That Vastly Increases Parental Control–And Undermines Educators’–Advances

March 18, 2015 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto,  the Fort Myers Republican, is  behind the bill that would revamp school choice in Florida. (Facebook)
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, the Fort Myers Republican, is behind the bill that would revamp school choice in Florida. (Facebook)

A sweeping education bill that would allow parents to send their children to schools in other counties and demand their children get new teachers in some situations was approved on a party-line vote Wednesday by a key Senate panel.


The 62-page measure (SB 1552) would, among other provisions, give parents the right to have their children attend any school in the state that hasn’t reached capacity. And if a student is being taught by a teacher that is out of his or her field, a parent could demand that the student be moved to another classroom. The bill also would make a slew of changes to charter school laws.

Over the objections of Democrats, the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee voted 7-4 to approve the bill. Supporters say the legislation would help parents whose children might otherwise be trapped in classrooms or schools that don’t work for them.

“I think school choice in traditional public schools is very important, because no child should be limited to the school that they can attend simply based on their ZIP code,” said Jason Fischer, a Duval County School Board member. “ZIP codes should not be barriers to a better life.”

But critics questioned the changes. Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who doubles as chief executive officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, said the part of the bill allowing students to transfer to schools in other districts might not work out the same for all families.

The parents would have to pay transportation costs. Montford, a former superintendent, also pointed to school districts’ statements that the state doesn’t always cover the full cost of student transportation to begin with.

“If we’re really going to do that, then this state needs to step up, fully fund transportation, and provide true options for all parents, not just parents who have means,” Montford said after the meeting.

Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, a Fort Myers Republican who sponsored the bill, downplayed how many parents were likely to take advantage of the provision.

“I don’t anticipate there’s a mass move by parents to send their children or take their children to schools two counties away, or three counties away,” she said.

Benacquisto also pushed back against the idea that parents would be able to choose their children’s teachers, pointing out that the bill simply allows parents to request, or in some cases demand, that a student be moved out of a certain classroom. The school district could then assign the child to another class.

“This does not allow a parent to cherry-pick a teacher in any way, shape or form,” she said.

But Montford, who said he supported school choice as a general concept, also said the state has to allow superintendents and principals to run their schools at some point.

“When I was principal or school superintendent, I would lean over backwards to help parents get their choice,” he said while discussing the teacher provision. “But, quite frankly, there are some times there are good reasons not to give a parent that choice.”

The legislation still has two more committee stops before it could go to the full Senate.

–Brandon Larrabee, News Service of Florida

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lancer says

    March 19, 2015 at 9:43 am

    “undermines educators”…no.

    It undermines teacher’s unions and make educators responsible. However, the double edge of that sword is also that parents have to be responsible and make sure their kids are getting the right support at home.

    It’s amazing that you would even have to explain the importance of education to parents and kids, but its constantly necessary.

  2. Palm Coast Resident says

    March 19, 2015 at 10:17 am

    If anybody wants to see a slew of failed Republican policies at work, especially when it comes to education, take a hard look at Mississippi (a very red state), not only the poorest state in our Union and largest recipient of Federal tax dollars, but it has one of the lowest graduation rates among high school seniors. Mississippi = REPUBLICAN HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST.

    This is where Florida is headed folks. Conservatives are willingly destroying education and privatizing it, all in the name of the Almighty dollar! Welcome to ‘Murica home of the dumb and not so brave.

  3. Merrill Shapiro says

    March 19, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Florida’s Constitution, Article IX requires that “Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education” We can’t expect those legislators to admit to their own failures, no matter how dismal those failures are and no matter how great a humiliation they bring upon themselves.

    Their best defense is to go on offense! They’ll do anything they can to destroy the system that our constitution requires them to create and support. In this case, they will make sure to remove all those articulate and supportive parents from schools in need of attention so that they will fail, disappear and never again remind Floridians of how disgraceful and ineffective our state legislature has become!

  4. Sherry Epley says

    March 19, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    Yet another huge step AWAY from anything resembling the promise of the “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY” for high quality education for ALL races from ALL financial backgrounds. Legislators, do you really think voters do not see through this deplorable degradation of the “integrated” public school system? Really?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • FlaglerLive on John Thrasher, Who’d Represented Flagler County in the Senate and Led FSU, Dies at 81
  • FlaglerLive on ICE Arrests More Than 100 in Raid of Construction Site Near FSU
  • Pierre Tristam on Israel’s Catastrophic Starvation of Gaza’s Millions
  • Ann Walton on Flagler Beach Secures All FEMA Funds for New Pier, Construction of $14 Million Replacement Begins June 16
  • Mort on Answering Lawsuit, Palm Coast Accuses Mayor Norris of Frivolously Weaponizing Court Against Gambaro’s Legitimacy
  • Old Rumrunner on Sales Tax Cut Appears Dead as House and Senate Leaders Agree to More Limited Exemptions
  • Hazel the maid on Israel’s Catastrophic Starvation of Gaza’s Millions
  • Wow on Palm Coast Man, 55, Arrested on Felony Animal Cruelty Charge for Asphyxiating Dog That Attacked His Chihuahua
  • Dog Choke on Palm Coast Man, 55, Arrested on Felony Animal Cruelty Charge for Asphyxiating Dog That Attacked His Chihuahua
  • Ed P on ICE Arrests More Than 100 in Raid of Construction Site Near FSU
  • Joe D on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 31, 2025
  • Gary on Palm Coast Man, 55, Arrested on Felony Animal Cruelty Charge for Asphyxiating Dog That Attacked His Chihuahua
  • Sherry on Why the Far Right Fabricated the Myth of a Migrant ‘Invasion’
  • William Moya on Local Police Collaboration With ICE Undermines Public Safety
  • Marek on Local Police Collaboration With ICE Undermines Public Safety
  • Pogo on Local Police Collaboration With ICE Undermines Public Safety

Log in